Cox tales join new crop at Fringe

Cox tales join new crop at Fringe - The West Australian

Some of Perth's best actors, musicians and comedians are heading to the world's best fringe festival.

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has a spoken word program for the first time and South Perth storyteller Andrew Cox is among those stepping into the lights in August.

Cox will weave his tales of holidays gone wrong, from being airlifted by the Peruvian army to escaping death from a gypsy gang in Transylvania.

A stockbroker by day who also lists musician, MC and author on his CV, Cox started with a stand-up comedy routine but gave spoken word a go when Barefaced Stories - Perth's only regular night devoted to the form - started two years ago and he was hooked.

"I always felt stand-up was a bit too contrived for me," he said. "I felt more comfortable telling real-life experiences rather than making things up to make people laugh.

"I think in some ways listening to real experiences can be much more rewarding."

Cox's seven-night run in Edinburgh is his first chance to perform his 45-minute talk When Holidays Attack.

He says he has tested out a few real holiday heroics at Barefaced Stories and the reaction was encouraging.

"In 40 countries, I've never stayed in a fancy resort, spent the day by the pool or lay in the sun drinking cocktails," he said. "In fact, I'm not sure I've ever had a real holiday.

"If I did, it went horribly wrong and no one is interested in nice holidays."

Getting to Edinburgh is not cheap - Cox estimates $10,000 - but he said it was worth it to launch his show among some of the world's best speakers.

Other Perth performers going to Edinburgh this year include comedians Bonnie Davis and Cameron Davis, showman Tomas Ford and the Blue Room-Perth Theatre Company production of The Pride.